Sustainable Lighting for Green Data Centers with smartengine
Written by:
Mary Raby
As data centers grow to keep up with AI and cloud demands, lighting usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but it should be. smartengine makes lighting smarter, helping save up to 75% in energy, while also providing real-time data and a flexible, low-voltage infrastructure that’s designed to scale with you.
Sustainable Lighting for Green Data Centers with smartengine
Data centers power our digital world, and their energy demands are growing faster than ever. As AI, machine learning, and cloud computing continue to rise, facilities are under pressure to not only be more powerful, but also more sustainable.
It’s easy to underestimate the role lighting plays in energy efficiency, especially in high-tech environments like data centers. smartengine changes that by turning lighting into a powerful way to reduce energy use and operational load.
AI Is Scaling. Energy Demands Are Too.
The rise of AI workloads has redefined infrastructure planning for data centers. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s most recent projections, national data center power consumption is expected to surpass 35 gigawatts by 2030, driven largely by AI training and inference workloads. Hyperscale operators and colocation providers are racing to expand capacity, but the way power is managed matters more than ever.
While lighting accounts for a relatively small share of total energy use, it offers significant impact when it comes to improving Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE). smartengine reduces lighting energy use by up to 75%, with additional savings through reduced HVAC strain, thanks to minimal heat output (only 750 BTUs). By centralizing low-voltage lighting infrastructure and removing fixture-level drivers, smartengine also simplifies ongoing maintenance and dramatically cuts operational overhead.
Built for Flexibility, Scaled for Today’s Needs
The growing presence of IoT and edge computing, now almost 20 billion connected devices globally, is reshaping how data centers are managed. smartengine addresses this need for flexibility by integrating intelligent lighting with real-time data monitoring. Through a fine-mesh sensor network, the system tracks:
- Motion and occupancy
- Light levels and brightness
- Temperature
- Power usage per fixture
This level of visibility not only supports lighting control but enables HVAC systems to respond dynamically to space utilization, automating air flow and climate control to match activity levels.
Compliant, Scalable, and Sustainable by Design
smartengine is engineered for compliance with global and regional standards, including UL 924 for emergency lighting, Title 24 (California), and other low-voltage safety requirements. Its fixture-agnostic design and use of standard Category cabling (CAT5e/6/6a) simplify installation and enable safe, self-service changes with no ladder or lift required.
As sustainability goals become more closely linked to real estate value, energy reporting, and ESG commitments, smartengine can support green building efforts by contributing up to 29 LEED points toward certification.
Lighting as a Strategic Advantage
In high-density, mission-critical environments, every watt counts. Lighting may not be the largest source of energy consumption, but it represents one of the easiest, safest, and fastest areas to drive immediate impact with ongoing benefits in operational efficiency, safety, and scalability.
Whether you're managing a hyperscale build, a retrofit, or a next-generation AI-ready facility, smartengine offers a smarter way forward for lighting in data centers:
- Lower CapEx with simplified low-voltage design
- Lower OpEx with reduced energy and HVAC use
- Safer maintenance with rack-mounted accessibility
- Real-time diagnostics for better facility control
- A future-ready backbone that scales with demand
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As digital demand keeps growing, data centers need solutions that boost performance without sacrificing sustainability, and smartengine makes it easier to achieve both.
